New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-01
is 1T REFORNf

Good government is what the people want.
let it be said again. That is what they mean
by "reform' not the ousting of pay-drawers
of one party. and the pensionng of workers OF
the other. The people want improved gov
crnment, greater care and thoroughness IN
serving their interests. Is that what they arc
getting? Men who answer because they have
gone bail for President Cleveland, so to speak
-because they personally assured voters that
he would be found q genuine rcformer. and
have not the courage to admit that they had
no ground for the assertion or were in error
arc not wanted as witnesses. The facts must
speak.
Dispatches of one day toll us of complaints
throughout the Northwest that the post office
service is becoming vexatously Irregular ana
dilatory. Complaints of the same sort have
been heard not farther away than Brooklyn
and New-York. and the recent arrest OF two
postmasters in Ohio for criminal conduct casts
some light on the subject. Then came COM
plants the sameday of delays and irregularities
in the customs service here. Next we have
protests to the Secretary of the Treasury that
his rulings permit iron in vast quantities 10
come into The country by evasion of duties:
that underv luatons are suffered by officials
| to defeat the law. and that imports oil iron ana
steel have become so large as to threaten the
prosperity II great industry. In close con-
nection come dispatches showing that the in
yestment in new manufactures and mines OF
the South has been $161 49,, 900 in SIX months
of 1887, against 500, 61S, 200 for the same part
OF last wear. This enormous capital, invested
mon faith that the laws of the United States
would be honestly enforced, is objected to great
and unjust ,ril, if by hostile Interpretation
and neglect of officials foreign imports are al
lowed to PROSTATE manufactures, to break
down prices, and to narrow the home market
inst at time when the producing capacity
is being greatly enlarged
Oher items call for notice. Senator VOORHEES,
goes to Alaska, saying that the controversy
about fisheries in that far-oG region Is gong
to be made an issue in the next Presidential
campaign This means that the Administration
is not settling questions there arising, Wild
sole regard to American interests. but IS
getting up an issue for political uses. As
further illustration Of our foreign policy,
dispatch the same day tells of the confinement
of an American citizen, A.. w. Bid, OF Wichita
Kan, with his family in prison at Del Nor'e
in Mexico, and how he was denied all
hearing or trial, subjected to exceeding priva-
ton and sickness, and four members OF tho
company confined died in prison of smallpox.
MANY other instances Of injury to Americans
come TO mind and contrast unplcasanty with
the tremendous fuss made about the confinc-
mcnt of one person who mad actually violated
Mexican law on Mexican soil, because Secretary
Bayard then wanted to got up political issue
Disnatchcs Of Che same day tell us that Mr.
Lamar. who hopes to sit as Justice of the United
| States Supreme Court, admits that he knocked
| down an officer of United States court in
| courtroom, and made violent and Law -defyinG
speecb about it as late as 1871, six years after
the war closed. This illustration Of his re-
markable fitLess for Judicial dignity and re-
sponsibities reminds mon OF his reported
participation at the outbreak of the war in
the violent outragcs by which Union editor
was driven from Tennessee. and of his eAoccd-
ing activity in the secession movement. III
proof is wanted that his spirit has not greatly
changed, it will be found in tho half-masting
of the flag over the Interior Department, In
honor of the traitor Jacob Thompson. But
the Administration thinks this same Mr.. Lamar
the ono man of all others to reward and to
honor.
Are these things steps in the direction Of
better government? Do they tend to make
the country more honored, more loyal or more
PROSPEROUS DO they tend to make the rights
and interests of the people more secure under
thcir government 4?